56ers 'thrilled' to be moving on

July 11, 2005|By BRADLEY KEIM, Daily American Sports Writer

SIDMAN - Faced with playing an extra game to get into the Cambria Legion baseball playoffs, Richland-Windber made the most of its opportunity. The 56ers lashed Lilly-Loretto 13-1 in a play-in game Monday and next play at No. 2 Somerset in a best-of-three quarterfinal series that opens at 5:30 p.m. today.

"We're just thrilled to be moving on," said 56ers manager Jason Kaminsky. "We know Somerset is loaded. It's going to be very tough. We just hope we can give them a good game."

Lilly-Loretto manager Sonny Bukowski said the 56ers put together a complete game against his team.

"You've got to take your hats off to Richland," he said. "They just pitched well and they hit well and they fielded well. They did it all."

At the same time, he said, his players may have been ready for their season to end.

"We weren't ready physically or emotionally or mentally. … Maybe it was the length of the season. We were baseballed out."

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The 56ers (12-12) got stellar pitching in their first scheduled nine-inning game this season. Brad Dale threw two-hit ball over six innings. Then, Josh Szelong was nearly untouchable as he struck out eight batters and yielded only one hit over three innings. The duo combined for only two walks but beaned five batters.

The 56ers scored four runs in the third inning and six more in the fifth and Dale said he was relaxed while pitching with that kind of run support.

"Pitching with the big lead is a lot easier," he said. "Knowing that you can take a couple risks, while you're pitching, and give up a couple of runs."

Dale, who struck out five batters, improved to 4-3 and he leads the 56ers with 39 innings pitched.

He also led the 56ers at the plate by batting 3-for-4 with three RBIs. He was caught stealing during the bottom of the third inning, but teammate Nick Samko stole home on the play and scored the first run.

Szelong, who had 18 strikeouts in 20 innings during the regular season, said he was surprised he pitched so well on only three days rest.

"I was setting up my curveball with my fastball and I was throwing both for strikes," he said.

"I'm usually not a strikeout pitcher. I usually get a lot of ground outs, but I enjoyed actually racking up that many Ks."

Kaminsky said the pitching was good both because of what it meant for the rest of the playoffs and for the effect it had on his batters, who totaled 16 hits.

"It was tremendous from the standpoint that we have a number of guys that can come back and throw and even both of these guys can come back if we're able to push the game to three days back at Somerset," he said.

"Loretto's a very good hitting team and for him to be able to shut them down like that was a big lift for the batters. They weren't batting with as much pressure, perhaps, than if the game were tight."

56ers catcher Shaun Stapleton batted 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Samko went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Paul Reilly also had two hits. Craig Molchany and Kyle Ronan drove in two runs apiece. Eric Wingard scored three runs and Craig Montag added two more.

C.J. McCoy doubled and scored Lilly-Loretto's lone run during the sixth inning.

Adam Watt started for Lilly-Loretto and allowed 10 runs, seven earned, in five innings. Josh Vinglas allowed three runs, one earned, in three innings.

The game was played on St. Michael's home field at Forest Hills High School because the 56ers home field, Highland Park, was unavailable. Kaminsky said Highland Park should be available for Wednesday night's game with Somerset.

The rest of the quarterfinal series include No. 6. Meyersdale versus No. 3 Conemaugh Valley-Johnstown, with game one today at Johnstown's Franklin Park; No. 9 Patton, which upset No. 8 Claysburg 10-7 in Monday's other play-in game, takes on top-seeded St. Michael; and the No. 4 Bedford Hurricanes play No. 5 Spangler.